a. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally related to tie-outs that allow objects or animals to be secured to a door, and more particularly, to door-mounted pet tie-outs that allow a user to tie a pet on either side of a door.
b. Background Art
Occasionally, pet owners want to restrict their pet's range of movement in various locations, such as on the inside or outside of their homes. There are various devices available to the pet owner to achieve this goal. For example, pet owners sometimes crate their pets in order to restrict their pet's ability to move freely about the inside of the pet owner's home. Although crates are effective in restricting the pet's ability to roam about, some pets become distraught when placed in a crate even for short periods of time. For example, a dog that does not want to be crated may resort to relentlessly barking or scratching the side of the crate in order to attract the pet owner's attention.
Other pet owners have resorted to using leashes to restrict a pet's range of movement inside their homes. Sometimes, pet owners secure one end of the leash to the pet and the other end to fixed or heavy object, such as a piece of furniture. For pets that do not react well to being crated, leashes may provide a good alternative for restricting a pet's movement. However, securing a pet with a leash to a piece of furniture has its drawbacks. For example, the leash can damage the furniture as the pet moves about the floor while dragging the leash. In addition, depending on the size of the pet and the piece of furniture to which it is secured, the pet may be able to drag the furniture across the floor or tip the furniture on its side. Some pet owners have also tried securing the pet's leash to a door handle. Again, depending on the size of the pet, the pet may be able to damage the door handle by pulling on the leash, as well as causing the door to open accidentally.
In order to restrict a pet's range of movement outside the home, some pet owners tie their pets' leashes to stakes placed in the ground. Typically, the stakes are located in a yard some distance away from the pet owner's house. Although a stake placed in the ground provides a secure object to which a pet's leash can be secured without easily coming loose, using a stake has some drawbacks. Sometimes a pet owner may have a need to restrain a pet when guests are visiting, but securing a dog to a stake in the middle of a yard can be a major inconvenience during periods of foul weather. This is because the pet owner usually has to escort the dog to where the stake is located in order to attach the leash. This can also prove inconvenient to a pet owner that is not properly attired to roam outside his or her household.